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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. can — a tin
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bark — to shout
  8. scale — size or range
  9. can — to be able to
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. capital — a city
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. can — a tin
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. vault — a safe
  20. capital — money
  21. scale — in music
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. pitch — a sales talk

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com